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They
Remember Apponaug
When Oliver Payson Fuller wrote his history of Warwick in 1875,
he described Warwick's villages as "...thriving manufacturing
villages, strung together like beads upon a string . .. .”
He notes that they were ". . .full of busy industry, nestling
along the two branches of the river (Pawtuxet).... each possessing
its peculiar features of interest, and altogether forming a community."
Obviously, the area known as Warwick has changed dramatically since
the time when Fuller wrote his history.
Change and neglect
As the 20th century progressed, Warwick’s villages often suffered.
Robert 0. Jones, author of Warwick, Rhode Island, Statewide Historical
Preservation Report, K-W-1, points out that, "Unfortunately,
no attention was paid to the effect of growth on the old villages
and open farmland that defined Warwick's environmental character."
Jones uses Apponaug village as an example of this neglect charging
that in 1981 it totally lacked “the connotation of pleasurable
community life in a small-scale civic setting which is evoked by
the term 'village'." In 1981, very few would have taken exception
to the statement by Jones.
Dedication to the village
Fortunately for Warwick, a number of civic-minded citizens, such
as the late Dorothy Mayor, the very dedicated individuals working
through the Apponaug Area Improvement Association, the Warwick Museum,
and the Warwick Preservation Commission have succeeded in restoring
much of the village's pride and have preserved its historical heritage.
They spent a great deal of time and effort in trying to make Apponaug
a pleasant area once again. While it is obvious that it would be
impossible to recreate the pleasant 19th century village of Fuller's
recollection, these concerned citizens have made dramatic improvements,
not only in the obvious physical appearance of the area, but in
the spirit as well.
Very few villages can match Apponaug’s old timers when it
comes to loyalty and nostalgia. Every year, long time residents
gather for Apponaug Old Timers Night at the Veteran Fireman’s
Association hall in East Greenwich. This tradition began in 1985
and draws many from near and far. This event draws nearly 200 oldtime
residents and friends.
In addition to the wonderful memories of Apponaug’s by-gone
days given to us by Bob Champagne and Dorothy Mayor are delightful
stories shared by Joe Carney and Everett Eastman when they were
at the 1990 meeting.
Joe Carney
Joe Carney, who was 92 years old at the time, (ie: 1990) amazed
us with his clear recollection of the early 20th century. Joe remembered
that when he was five years old in 1903, he entered the old Apponaug
Grammar School, which was on Post Road at approximately the site
of the present day Trudeau Center. Joe recalled the grammar school
had nine grades and could even remember some of the teachers. After
completing his education at the grammar school, he went to the Warwick
High School when it was in the Westcott section of Warwick. He was
a student there in 1913 when Warwick was divided and the school
was given, as part of the division agreement, to the newly created
town of West Warwick.
Carney graduated from the high school in 1916 and, in 1917, entered
the United States Naval Academy. After graduation in 1921, Joe served
as an officer in the U.S. Navy for seven years and then used his
engineering skills working for the State of Rhode Island and the
U.S. Rubber Co. Joe Carney's long and distinguished career brought
him many fond memories, and among the most vivid are those of Apponaug
when he was a boy. "I came to Apponaug at the same time as
the trolley cars," he chuckled. He recalled the time when Apponaug
had two markets and when groceries were delivered "door to
door by horse-drawn wagons." He added, "My mother paid
the bill on Friday. That was the payday at the mill and we always
got a bag of candy or some treat on Friday night.”
When Carney was a boy it was still possible to stand on Drum Rock
in Cowesett and cause it to make a loud boom. Joe's colorful recollections
include playing on “Indian Lockout” behind “Hungry
Hill” and memories of the "frog-man", who had webbed
fingers. He vividly recalled the days when the legendary Michael
Lynch, the area’s only sheriff, patrolled all of Kent County.
Carney said. "He took on several desperados and he never wore
a gun." Carney and a number of other old-timers recalled that
Tom Lynch, Mike's brother, ran a large dairy farm and that much
of Warwick was farmland.
Stories of Warwick's farms, houses and business establishments in
the late 19th and early 20th centuries will be continued.
Dot Mayor’s sketch shows kids having fun on Drum Rock which
is located slightly to the west of the Cowesett Hills apartment
complex. She remarked in her I Remember Apponaug, “Old
timers used to say that when the top rock was in the right position,
the sound would carry for a distance of ten miles.”
From Dorothy Mayor, I Remember Apponaug
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